Counseling

A Dear Sister Who’s Considering a New Church Home and Struggling in Her Relationship With Her Daughter Who’s Married to a Woman:

I realize the difficulty you’re experiencing with your decision regarding a new church home. I hope your meeting with your current pastor will clarify which option is best for you. You’re certainly not a prodigal daughter (a backslider in a “pig pen”). Leaving a church is never easy, let alone finding another one. It may sound strange, but sometimes a believer’s spiritual maturity can outgrow his/her local church. Much prayer and counseling can help him/her come to a reasonable conclusion with faith that it is God’s will to either leave or stay and be settled with it. You’ll always have my and Pat’s admiration whatever you decide. As far as your relationship with your daughter, it is good that it’s cordial. However, your biblical conviction against same-sex marriage isn’t bigotry no more than your conviction against adultery and formication. They’re all immoral. God loves people who do those things (so do we), but that doesn’t mean they’re approved and thus to be accepted as normal. Same-sex couples need to know that our biblical convictions are strong and won’t be watered down by our love for them. Our love draws them to us, and our biblical convictions reflected in our lifestyle inform them of our firm beliefs about right and wrong. Ultimately, God will have to change their hearts. Be encouraged my sister. God is working behind the scenes in your favor far more than you realize. Blessings!